Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 91

Ria's POV:

The living room was bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun, filtering through the windows and casting warm rays across the dining table where Layla and I sat, laptops open, notebooks scattered across the surface. A half-empty coffee cup sat between us, and Layla was absentmindedly chewing on the end of a pen, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Okay," she said, tapping her pen on her notebook. "So, we've got the date set. October 31st, Halloween, obviously."

I nodded, grinning. "It's perfect. I mean, how could you not get married on Halloween when you two met on that exact day four years ago?"

Layla smiled, a dreamy look crossing her face. "Yeah, it just feels right, you know? Like it's come full circle."

"Oh, yeah. But do you really want the theme to be Halloween?" I asked, scrolling through Pinterest on my laptop, looking for ideas. "Like, spooky stuff? Skeletons and bats?"

Layla laughed, shaking her head. "No, no. Definitely not. Jamal and I were thinking more of a gothic dark romance vibe. Dark florals, deep reds, lots of candles. Think mysterious, elegant, a bit dramatic."

I paused, looking up from my screen. "So, no spiderwebs?"

"No spiderwebs," she confirmed with a smirk. "But we're thinking of having the ceremony in an old mansion. There's this venue just outside of town that looks straight out of a Victorian novel."

"Ooh, that sounds beautiful. So, like, moody lighting and dark, velvety vibes?" I scribbled a note in my notebook. "I can get behind that. Gothic romance suits you guys."

Layla leaned in to look at my screen, and I tilted it slightly so she could see. We scrolled through images of dark floral arrangements, candlelit tables, and black lace accents.

"Exactly. And the flowers-Jamal suggested black dahlias and deep red roses," she said, her voice softening at the mention of his name.

I couldn't help but smile. "He's seriously perfect for you, Layla."

"I know," she said quietly, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "Sometimes I still can't believe it."

We both sat in comfortable silence for a moment, our fingers tapping away on our keyboards as we continued jotting down ideas.

"Alright, so we've got the venue, the theme, and the date," I said, running through our checklist. "What about catering? Any thoughts?"

Layla tapped her chin. "We were thinking of keeping it classy but with a twist. Like, a five-course meal but with some spooky, dark elements. Maybe black pasta, or drinks with dry ice so they smoke?"

I chuckled. "Always extra with you two, huh?"

She grinned, unashamed. "Duhhh. You only get married once, Ria. Go big or go home."

"Fair point," I said, scribbling 'smoky drinks' into the catering section of my notebook. "And what about the invites? I was thinking we could go with dark, ornate invitations, maybe with silver or metallic black calligraphy?"

Layla's eyes lit up. "I love that. Something that gives off mysterious elegance. Like you're being invited to a grand ball, not just a wedding."

I jotted that down, too, nodding. "We'll need to send them out soon. Do you have a final guest list?"

"Pretty much," Layla said. "It's not going to be huge, maybe a hundred people. Just close friends and family."

"Perfect," I said, checking another item off the list. "Now, we just need to find the right florist, finalize the music, and-oh, I almost forgot-wedding dress shopping!"